


I'll go to Hell with you

by YouCantKeepMeDown



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, It's still a bit sad, M/M, Mark of Cain, Post-Season/Series 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 10:12:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16490615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouCantKeepMeDown/pseuds/YouCantKeepMeDown
Summary: When Rowena removes the Mark of Cain from Dean, instead of setting Amara free, it returns to its original bearer: Lucifer. But Michael won't have his younger brother carrying that thing again.





	I'll go to Hell with you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Askatosch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Askatosch/gifts).



> I wrote this for Askatosch. Happy Birthday!
> 
> Also thanks to my beta reader Coplins!

There’s an archangel pacing in the bunker kitchen and it says quite a lot about their lives that Dean doesn’t even stop to consider the absurdity of this anymore.

It had all started with the spell that removed the Mark of Cain. It had shaken the very foundation of the Cage down in hell, so instead of unleashing an unknown evil, they had only managed to free a known one. Well, if you can call Lucifer and Michael evil. Dean isn’t too sure about that anymore. He isn’t too sure about a lot of things nowadays.

What worries him most right now is the Mark on the arm that technically belongs to his brother Adam, but is controlled by Michael at the moment. The Mark Dean himself had only just gotten rid of.

“I didn’t know!” Michael says. He turns sharply on his – well Adam’s – heels in front of the counter and makes his way back in the direction of the door. “Father gave Lucifer that burden to carry and he didn’t bother to tell me! He made me throw my brother into hell for crimes that weren’t even completely his fault!” Every single glass in the kitchen sings with the force of the last few words, and for a moment Dean worries some of them will break. There’s a weird thing about Michael’s true voice, though. It doesn’t hurt him. It’s probably a true vessel thing, though he hates to even think that.

“Listen,” Dean says, “I get you’re angry about that. But I still don’t get how _you_ ended up with the fucking Mark.”

They’d found the two of them at Stull Cemetery. Lucifer in Nick again, surprisingly, Apparently Crowley had stored that poor fucker away in hell somewhere and they’d found him on their way out.

No fight this time, both archangels had just sat there and stared at the place the door to the cage had opened years ago. It was the rest of creation that had freaked out around them, drawn in by their power. That had alerted Sam and Dean. Both archangels had agreed to come with them willingly. Lucifer is in the library with Sam currently, having a very long talk about what actually happened in the cage.

Michael stops pacing now. He looks at Dean with eyes that are so much older than the body they sit in. “The Mark returned to its original bearer. But I couldn’t let him take it on again.”

There’s no need to explain that further. That’s a bit eerie to be honest, but they’re both big brothers. Of course Michael couldn’t let Lucifer carry the Mark again, now that he knows what it does.

“So”, Dean says, “you’ll eventually turn evil in his stead.”

“No”, comes a voice from the door. It’s Sam who strides in, Lucifer sauntering after him. “Get this, apparently the Mark only enhances bad traits you had anyway. For Lucifer it was his pride. For you …” He looks at Dean, obviously searching for the right words.

Lucifer doesn’t have those trouble. He grins at Dean. “For you it was that part of you that almost became a demon during your cozy vacation hanging on Alistair’s racks.”

Dean glowers at him. “Oh yeah. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Lucifer’s grin just gets wider, but he also manages to make a stab at looking innocent. “I was locked away, remember? You can thank dear old dad and his big plan for the treat.”

Before Dean can find a suitable answer, Sam clears his throat. “Anyway, that means, if we want to know how bad it’ll gonna be, we have to figure out what bad traits Michael has.” He looks at the archangel, and it’s kinda fucked up that he still does so with respect. “No offence.”

Michael looks at him with that weird angelic head tilt for a moment. “I can tell you how bad it’s going to be,” he says finally, voice very calm now.

It’s Lucifer who carries on though. “Dad made him a soldier. Slay all evil, you know the deal. And you know what? If you look closely, basically no human is really free of sin.”

“There are enough really bad guys out there to last a lifetime,” Dean says. Of course it won’t be that easy. It hadn’t been that easy with him, why should it be better with an archangel?

“I do have a bit more than a lifetime,” Michael points out.

“Also,” Lucifer says, “I don’t think you want fire raining down on every wrongdoer.” He pauses. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s fine by me. But I just promised Sammy here to try and not destroy the world again. I think it’s unfair, if Michael gets to have all the fun instead.”

When Dean throws Michael a look the other archangel just nods. “I’m not interested in starting the Apocalypse anymore, I’m not interested in killing my brother anymore. But when it comes to humanity there is sin basically everywhere you look. And I can see that you know how the Mark clouds your judgement eventually.”

“Lucifer and I have a plan, though”, Sam says.

And Dean should’ve known that couldn’t be anything good.

* * *

There’s an archangel scanning the contents of the fridge in the middle of the night, when Dean is out to get a beer because he can’t sleep. He blinks once, before he adjusts to the situation, because who even cares anymore? “If beer isn’t your thing, I can get you a scotch.” Because why the fuck not? If you find the Viceroy of Heaven in your kitchen in the middle of the night you can as well offer him a strong drink.

“I promised Adam pie,” Michael says.

Ah. Yes.

Sam had explained the plan earlier. It’s pretty simple and goes like this: There’s only one place in all creation where Michael wreaking havoc won’t hurt an innocent soul: Hell. That’s also the only place that has a chance of holding an angry archangel now that the cage is toast thanks to the spell from the Book of the Damned and the Mark. They know how to close the doors of hell, and with an archangel at his side, Sam even has a decent chance of surviving the trials.

That leaves Adam for drawing the short end of the straw, because Michael needs a vessel.

But Dean damned that kid to a few thousand years in hell once, he can’t do it again. He takes a deep breath. “He’ll have lots of time to eat lots of pie.”

Michael turns around slowly, gaze intent.

All of a sudden, Dean has a lump in his throat and swallows against it. “Listen, the thing with the Mark was my fault. And I’m the one who’ll help fix it. Also, I’m your sword and all that. If anyone goes to hell with you, it’s me. So …” Another deep breath. “Yes.”

Michael looks at him curiously. “Are you sure?”

Sudden anger grips Dean. “You had Zachariah torture my brother on more than one occasion for me to say yes before! And now you go ‘Are you sure?’ on me?”

“Back then I should’ve come to you personally a lot sooner.” It’s almost an apology. “But to be honest I didn’t want to succeed. Part of me always hoped you would just keep being on the run. Rebell the way I never dared.”

Oh. OH. Dean opens his mouth, but he is at loss for words for a moment.

“Are you sure, Dean?”, Michael asks after a while, voice soft.

“Yes,” Dean says again with more force behind it this time. “Now get in, asshole.”

* * *

Sam isn’t sure what would’ve happened, if Michael hadn’t taken over the Mark, but whatever it was, it would’ve been his fault. That’s the only reasons why he watches in silence while Dean walks through the gate to hell that had opened so many year ago in Stull Cemetery. Next to Sam is Adam who’s currently whispering in Enochian with Lucifer. As it turns out, you can unlearn your native language after a few thousand years, which means Sam needs a dictionary now to speak to his little brother.

For a moment Sam wonders, if it wouldn’t be easier to just die in the trials that lie in front of him. That way they’ll both find their peace. Or whatever Dean will have down there.

“It’ll be just like Purgatory,” he’d said. “To be honest, I kinda miss that.”

So peace, or at least the closest thing to that a Winchester can hope for.

Then there’s a hand on Sam’s shoulder and he can feel Lucifer’s grace, so close but still separated by skin and flesh. He remembers how it felt to share a body. He remembers now how it felt with Lucifer’s wings wrapped around him in the cage.

“We’ll do the trials together,” Lucifer says.

“Yes.”

* * *

There’s an archangel wrapped around his soul and Dean is pretty sure this is the happiest he’s ever been. There’s a hole inside him that had been there all his life and that is filled now with archangel grace. He and Michael are swinging Michael’s angel blade together, one in everything, thought and movement. Dean can feel Michael’s joy and triumph when the next demon falls. They step over the body and into the crowd that tries to flee into every direction, black panicky smoke where Dean can see glimpses of demon’s true faces now and then.

By the time they reach the throne room hell is burning with a new fire. The screams of the demons dying are loud and sweet in Dean’s ears. This is so simple, so pure. This is even better than Purgatory. There’s nothing but Michael’s grace and the next kill.

Then, all of a sudden, they’re standing in front of the throne, the Mark burning angrily on Dean’s arm. He isn’t sure how much time has passed, but the screams have died down by now. Hell has fallen silent just like a tomb.

There’s no need to talk, they share their thoughts. They move as one again. Slowly, they step towards the throne and slowly they sit down.

Dean smiles. This is all kinds of fucked up, but maybe this is where they belong.


End file.
